McCoy & Moen Earn NCAA Championship Berths In Prelim Finale

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Iowa State track and field teams added two more NCAA-qualifying bids to the list Saturday evening, as high jumper Kelly McCoy and distance runner Katy Moen each earned berths in their respective events. The Cyclones finish the NCAA West Prelims with eight bids by seven student-athletes.

McCoy put on a career performance in the high jump, clearing bar at 5 feet, 9.75 inches to clinch a spot at the NCAA Championships. McCoy cleared bars at 5’5.75”, 5’7.75” and 5’9.75” in the event, notching the final height on her second attempt. Competition in the high jump closed after the 12 qualifiers were announced, keeping McCoy from attempting another height. McCoy came into competition ranked 32nd in the region before finishing seventh today.

McCoy’s mark is good for the fourth-best in Iowa State outdoor history, passing Dona Lane on the all-time list. The Cary, Illinois, native will become just the second high jumper in program history to earn All-America recognition at the outdoor championships and the first Cyclone high jumper to earn a berth at a national championship event since 2011 (Hannah Willms, NCAA Indoors).

Moen notched her second NCAA berth in as many races at the regional meet, placing third in her heat of the women’s 5,000-meter run this evening. The Fairbank, Iowa, native was fresh off a victory in the 10K Thursday evening and ran with the leaders for the entirety of the race. Moen ran as high as second in the field and, as has become somewhat of a trademark, showed solid foot speed over the final three laps of the race. Her time of 16:20.56 is good for the No. 10 overall qualifying mark in the west region.

Moen will join Cyclone greats Lisa Koll (Uhl) and Betsy Saina as the only three runners in program history to earn All-America accolades in both the 5K and 10K in the same NCAA Championship meet.

Bethanie Brown, running in Flight 2 of the event, notched the 11th-fastest overall time in the competition, but due to the pace of her heat, she will not advance to the NCAA meet. Brown used a great kick over the final 800 meters to pick off several competitors en route to a ninth-place finish in her heat. The Waterville, Maine, native crossed the line in 16:19.63.

The women’s 4x400m relay squad of Kendra White, Ese Okoro, Dana Christensen and Krista Shoeman ended the night with a 3:37.16 in heat 2 of the event. The team posted a mark 0.77 seconds off of their career best, which ranks No. 2 in program history at 3:36.39 (Drake Relays, 2014).

The Cyclones will return to the track June 11-14 in Eugene, Oregon, at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The event will be held at Oregon’s Hayward Field.